A GREAT POST FROM PASTOR CHRIS BRAUNS

Open Our Eyes That We May Behold Wonderful Things in Your Word

Published by Chris on January 26, 2009

Do you realize that we cannot understand and apply the Word of God on our own? If we simply read the Bible and try and apply it by means of our own insight and intellect, we are destined to fail. The only way we can truly comprehend the Scriptures is through the help of the Holy Spirit. This is what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Co 2:14).”

We need the Holy Spirit to illuminate the meaning of the Scriptures – - to light it up and show us how it applies to our lives.

That being the case, one of the most important things we can do when reading the Bible and hearing the Word preached is pray and ask the Holy Spirit to graciously light up the truth so that we can see its significance for how we should think and live.

We should pray, Psalm 119:18, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”

So, here is what you do. Go home and get out your Bible. Open it up the Gospel of John or James or a chapter of Proverbs, or wherever God might lead you. And, then, before you read, pray this prayer. God, open my eyes so that I might see wonderful things in your Word.

Here is what you do. When you sit in church next Sunday and get ready to here the Word preached, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes so that you can see wonderful things in the Word. We need the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit.

THE CREEDS

The creeds are numbered among the historical documents of the Christian faith, which are indispensable to a clear and concise understanding of Christianity’s basic doctrines. They might be called the theological “skeletons” of the Christian faith.

Dr. Kim Riddlebarger focuses on the Apostles’ Creed in an article entitled “Protestants and Creeds,” (Tabletalk Magazine, January 2009), noting that creeds both define the Christian faith and summarize the basic Christian beliefs. They also “distinguish the church and her members from the various sects” (quoted from Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, p. 117). In an excellent analysis he “unpacks” the various statements in the Creed:

“….if you are to set out those things that differentiate Christianity from all other religions, including monotheistic ones (for example, Judaism and Islam), the Apostles’ Creed would provide an excellent summary of those doctrines unique to Christianity. The creed sets forth the doctrine of the Trinity. It sets forth the basic economy of redemption – the Father is the creator of all things, Jesus is the only Savior, and the Holy Spirit is the one who gives us faith and then unites us to Christ. The creed also affirms the basic historical facts of the gospel – our Lord’s virgin birth, His suffering, death, and bodily resurrection. Furthermore, the creed affirms Jesus’ descent into hell (which the Reformed believe refers to Jesus’ suffering the wrath of God upon the cross), His bodily resurrection, and His ascent into heaven where Jesus now rules over all until He returns at the end of the age to judge the world and raise the dead.

Next, the creed affirms the person and work of the Holy Spirit, the existence of a ‘holy’ (those whose only hope of heaven is in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ) and ‘catholic’ church, a reference to the universal church (the body of Christ) that will exist from the time it was founded until Jesus returns. The creed affirms the communion of the saints (the fellowship of justified sinners with the risen Christ), the forgiveness of sins (Christ’s work in fulfilling all righteousness and dying for the sins of His people), the resurrection of the body at the end of the age (as Jesus was raised bodily on the third day, so will we when He returns) and life everlasting (new heavens and earth).”

PREPARING FOR SUFFERING

I believe John Piper to be a prophetic voice in our time. Here is what he wrote recently about suffering:

September 23, 2008  |  By: John Piper
Recently I wrote that we seldom know the micro reasons for our sufferings, but the Bible does give us faith-sustaining macro reasons. It is good to have a way to remember some of these so that when we are suddenly afflicted, or have a chance to help others in their affliction, we can recall some of the truths God has given us to help us not lose hope.

Here is one way to remember.  Five R’s (or if it helps, just pick three and try to remember them). The macro purposes of God in our sufferings include:

Repentance

Suffering is a call for us and others to turn from treasuring anything on earth above God.

Luke 13:4-5 – Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Reliance

Suffering is a call to trust God not the life-sustaining props of the world.

2 Corinthians 1:8-9 – For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

Righteousness

Suffering is the discipline of our loving heavenly Father so that we come to share his holiness.

Hebrews 12:6, 10-11 – The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives…. He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Reward

Suffering is working for us a great reward in heaven that will make up for every loss here a thousand-fold.

2 Corinthians 4:17 – This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

Matthew 5:11-12 – Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.

Reminder

Suffering reminds us that God sent his Son into the world to suffer so that our suffering would not be God’s condemnation but his purification.

Philippians 3:10 – …that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings.

Mark 10:45 – The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

JOHN MACARTHUR ON POLITICAL ACTIVISM

GOD A VICTIM OF SIN

That God took sin and its evil effects on himself is a unique contribution by Christian doctrine to the solution for the problem of evil. It is remarkable that, while knowing that he himself would become the major victim of the evil resulting from sin, God allowed sin to occur anyway. The Bible tells us that God was grieved by human sinfulness (Gen. 6:6). While there is certainly anthropomorphism here, there nonetheless is indication that human sin is painful or hurtful to God. But even more to the point is the fact of the incarnation. The Triune God knew that the second person would come to earth and be subject to numerous evils: hunger, fatigue, betrayal, ridicule, rejection, suffering, and death…God is a fellow sufferer with us of the evil in this world, and consequently is able to deliver us from evil. What a measure of love this is! Anyone who would impugn the goodness of God for allowing sin and consequently evil must measure that charge against the teaching of Scripture that God himself became the victim of evil so that he and we might be victors over evil.

Millard Erickson, Christian Theology

DOCTRINE, BIBLE, EVANGELISM

There they are: the “Big Three” for this blog. A few notes about each:
Doctrine:
That word has been out of favor for a long time in evangelical churches. If you would like to understand more about why and a lot about the consequences, I strongly suggest you read The Courage to be Protestant by David Wells. The book will be a classic – I promise. Here’s a quote from the first chapter:
“When all is said and done today, many evangelicals are indifferent to doctrine – certainly they are when they ‘do church.’ Privately, no doubt, there are doctrines that are believed. But in church…well, that is different because, many think, doctrine is an impediment as we reach out to new generations.”
The results of the indifference have been tragic. Evangelicalism today has lost its moorings and wanders in a mishmash of misconceptions, untruths, half-truths, and no truth. One can’t help but think of Psalm 11:3 – “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
Answer: “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.” Isaiah 51:1 – in other words, return to the roots. And that seems to be what is happening. There is a strong interest in and return to Reformed doctrine, to the basic doctrines of orthodox Christianity.
This blog will post “bits and pieces” from various sources that trace the return, as well as the rudiments of orthodox doctrine.
Bible:
To quote David Wells again: “Scripture is not a ‘vocality’ that is just one stance among many. It is not making its voice known in a cacophony of other voices none of which will be authenticated until we accept them. It is not modified by how we ‘read’ it unless we depart from how the authors wished to be read and how the Holy Spirit delivered God’s truth through them. No. this is a voice unlike any other voice. It speaks unlike any other voice, and what it says is unlike anything else heard anywhere else in the world. It speaks across the ages, across the generations, across psychological divides. And it accesses our very innermost being, even our very innermost (post)modern being, modern as we may wish to be in what we can receive from God. This is truth that is rudely and insistently ‘in our face.’ This ‘word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart’ (Heb. 4:12).” ~The Courage to be Protestant
This blog will post notes, commentary, and much else that pertains to Scripture.
Evangelism:
How do we evangelize? How should we not evangelize? What about apologetics? What does the Bible say about evangelism?
This blog will post whatever is pertinent to those questions.
Comments on any posts are welcome. ~JB

New Look, New Directions

Sheep Fodder is undergoing renovation. Obviously, there’s a new look. As for direction: In the future, Sheep Fodder will be devoted primarily to doctrinal matters, Biblical studies, and evangelism. I’m contemplating a new blog that will concern itself solely with the church – in fact, there will be a blog like that as soon as I can come up with a name that suits me. That, for me, is a long and difficult process. Any suggestions are very welcome. In the meantime… I plan on doing my best to post on Sheep Fodder regularly. Pray for me… ~SJB